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My experience with Z scale has taught me that the locos will go on forever, if properly treated. I beleive that the main problem with Z locomotives is stalling due to dirt on the wheels, and on the track. The problem is greatly magnified in Z scale because of the light weight of the locos. If a loco stalls and the power is not cut off immediately, the motor will very quickly burn out. I usually clean all my track and loco wheels before every session. I have not yet found it necessary to replace the brushes or wheel pickups on any of my locos, but these are easily obtained, and mostly easy to replace. Another cause of stalling is uneven track, particularly at rail joints on curves and grades (mostly 2% on my layout). A slight dip in the track on HO may have no effect, but the same amount of dip on Z can be a killer. Another favourite stalling place is the turnout. these need to be scrupulously clean, particularly the flat under-the-wheel-flange contacts on either side of the frog point (I'm referring to Marklin turnouts here). It 's best to clean your loco wheels with a soft non-abrasive material, as I wore the plating off my first loco's wheels, exposing the brass , which picks up muck like a pig's trotter and is harder to remove. Also clean the inside edge of the wheels, as the pick up contacts are very lightly sprung, and the slightest bit of dirt will break electrical continuity. Putting too much oil on your driving wheel gears can also cause stalling, as it will work outwards to the wheel pickups, gathering muck as it goes. I use an artists oilpainting brush, the smallest you can get, with all but around 6 hairs plucked out, dipped into a bottle of light clock oil, to obtain a droplet of oil not much bigger than a pin head, one drop to each gear,about every 20 hours of running time. Well, I honestly don't know if any of the above suggestions will solve your problem, but I hope they help. Any ideas for Z scaler's car sticker ? my idea is " Z scalers do it on 2ft by 4ft boards" !
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